Ahhh...SUMMER!

By the looks of this blog, particularly the lack of new posts, we are enjoying our summer.  It's true.  We've had so much fun thus far and are not looking forward to the prospect of school starting soon.  It has been a busy summer with several "firsts" for all of us.  But I'll take the time to go through those in a later post.  For now, it's just the big picture. 

We have spent time in Branson, at the farm, shopping, taking piano lessons, attending meetings, and reading...lots and lots of reading.  It has been a great summer. 

So...Branson.  We had a great time.  Stayed in a condo and spent a LOT of time in the pool.  We surprised the girls on the Monday night that we were down there when we went to see The Duttons and had Meme & Papa standing inside waiting for us. The girls had no idea and were totally shocked.  We met  an old friend of Gary's (not old as in OLD, just old as in he knew Gary several years ago!) and his family and had supper with them.  Gary then took all day Monday and went golfing with Matt.  He had a great time, and the girls and I did as well.  We took out on our own and went to the fish hatchery, swam and did oodles and oodles of shopping.  We didn't buy a lot, but it was a fun day for all of us.  It was really nice to be able to get away for a couple days and just have fun. 

And the rest will just have to wait a little longer.  I have to get ready to go to piano lessons...

Happy Father’s Day!

I know, I know.  I haven't updated this blog in quite some time, but I will.  Really.  Next week.  Until then, I wanted to wish the men in my life a Happy Father's Day.  I sent

this card

to my dad and thought I'd share it here.  Crosscards.com is a fantastic site! :)

School’s Out!

I know there are many parents who view the last day of school with despair, but not me.  I am at least as excited as the girls, and maybe more, that school is out for the year.  I love having the chicklets home with all of the craziness they bring.  

They had field day Monday morning and enjoyed it in spite of the typical Kansas heat and humidity.  More than one person commented that we have some runners in the bunch.  I’ve told the twinks several times that they’d be great cross-country runners with those long thin legs and endless energy. 

Yesterday was their final day in first grade.  Their class was named “Class of the Year” in music due to their exceptional behavior, so they got to have a party of pop and Dilly Bars.  It went over well, as far as they were concerned!  They’re looking forward to trips to DQ, to say the least.  While unpacking their sacks yesterday afternoon we were looking through some of the papers their teacher had sent home for them to do over the summer.  We started talking about math and what they had learned this year.  Addie’s response?  “Well, I didn’t learn anything in math this year.  I already knew how to do it.”  She’s right.  She went into the school year last August knowing how to do two-digit addition problems, which they ended the year with last week.  I seized a teaching moment last summer when she wanted to add big numbers, and she picked it up immediately.  We don’t stop learning around here in the summer.  I want them to learn as much as they can while learning is still fun for them.  At a certain point, with the public school system so intent on testing them until they just don’t care anymore, kids lose the joy of learning.  I don’t like it.  I love that they love to learn things.  I want them to maintain that joy of learning throughout their lives.  I want the same thing for myself.

They’re going to take piano lessons this summer.  I am looking forward to it, and so are they.  I’m excited for them to get the same joy our of music that I do.  There’s always been lots of music and singing in our house, and it looks like there will be even more in the coming months.  It’s a happy sound!

True Force

Before I forget, I want to tell you how much I LOVE the new Avon fragrance True Force for men.  When I was in college I loved Fahrenheit, and this reminded me so much of that yesterday when I smelled it.  I'm trying to convince Gary that he'd wear cologne, and then I'll get him some of it.  How exactly do you go about convincing a man that smelling good goes beyond the basics of deodorant and after shave?!  I'll let you know if I figure it out! :)  When I do, you can be sure he'll be wearing True Force...

FOUR MORE DAYS!

We’re ready for school to be out.  I’d like to think the early mornings will take a hiatus for a little while, but the twinks probably won’t let that happen.  They are EARLY risers.  They are typically up around 6:00 and sometimes as late as 6:20.  I know.  What’s wrong with these two?  Hannah, on the other hand, is our little teenager.  She sleeps in during the summer – 8:30…9:00…9:30.  Who knows? 

We had their awards presentations yesterday afternoon at school.  They came home with several awards and were/are very proud.  They should be.  They work very hard (yes, I require that, but still…) and deserve to be recognized for that hard work.   I am a VERY proud mama!

We had a funny incident occur late yesterday afternoon.  When we got home from school, the Avon order had arrived and needed to be unpacked, sorted, invoiced and repackaged.  They “helped” me do that, then we delivered a few orders and came home.  After we got home, Hope decided to examine the few things that I had picked up for demos, specifically the roll-on deodorant.  She asked who needed deodorant and I replied that I just got it to have/show/use.  She then decided to put some on.  Now, I don’t remember the first time I ever applied deodorant, but I don’t think I’ll forget the first time she used it!  I had to give her a lesson in deodorant application on her left armpit, then she put it on the right armpit.  We were both laughing.  After she finished her application, she left her arm in the air and exclaimed, “Man, it is s-l-i-m-y in there!”  She eventually lowered her arm and got back to the business at hand, but I was on the floor laughing at both the comment and the image of her with one arm in the air that will be forever burned in my head. 

Super Sunday

We had an absolutely spectacular Sunday!  Gary had planned to go golfing, but due to the need for hip-waders in just the backyard, he had to reschedule.  It worked out fine, though, because they we were all able to go to church together.  Kathy had a fantastic sermon about being annoyed (I needed that, incidentally), I got to visit with friends, it was great.  We had then decided we’d go to KC to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch/supper, so we took off.  The girls were reading and talking all the way there, and it was so nice to hear them not grumble at each other! :)  I had Orange Chicken that Addie LOVED.  That’s okay – she needs it more than I do.  We also, of course, got cheesecake that we all brought home to eat for supper.   Words can’t even begin to explain how good that stuff was. We also had to make a stop at Barnes & Noble on the way home.  Apparently I’ve trained them well, as that is their favorite store.  Everybody was happy with their purchase (3 kids’ books, one Richard Simmons video for the mama).  The ride home was equally pleasant with no cross words at all.  It was amazing!

While we did have a little incident in the evening that left Hope with hurt feelings and playing computer games with me, it was a fun time as well.  The girls’ music teacher called and told me how impressed he has been with their music progress this spring, and that he thinks they would be perfect candidates for piano lessons that he offers in the summer.  I’m so excited!  I love to play the piano (but don’t get enough opportunities to do so), and I know they will do great with it as well.  Then, while I was still happy about that phone call, we found Dumb & Dumber on TV.  That, surprisingly, is our all-time favorite movie to watch.  It makes Hope cackle like no other! :)

The final fun of the day occurred as the girls were getting ready for bed.  Addie & Hannah had been buddies all evening and went into the bathroom together.  They were in there for a few minutes before Addie came out and headed to Dad’s bathroom.  She finished her business and went back in with Hannah who, apparently, was still sitting on her throne.  Addie (remember, she’s the quiet, shy, sweet one) told her, “I’m already done, and I went in Dad’s bathroom.  You’re still on the pot.  I think you fell in the toilet and it barfed you back up again!”  That’s one we want to remember! :)

Here She Is!

Well, sort of.  I don’t put pictures of the kiddos on the blog, but I’ll share a picture of her beautiful old-soul eyes with her brand spankin’ new glasses.  Now she can see with her eyes the way she sees with her heart – clearly and completely and amazingly accurately.  She is a beauty, both inside and out.